


A Christmas Tree 〚 TeukChul | 83line 〛

by sleepyhead1399



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Don't copy this work to other sites, Light Angst, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:48:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyhead1399/pseuds/sleepyhead1399
Summary: A star—the small star ornament; that he found under the Christmas tree from earlier; that he decided to keep because he believed that he would put it on their tree, someday.
Relationships: Kim Heechul/Park Jungsoo | Leeteuk
Kudos: 18





	A Christmas Tree 〚 TeukChul | 83line 〛

**Author's Note:**

> My one-shot for Christmas last year. I hope you like it.

The weather was noticeably colder these days. A thin fog formed every time he breathed was the evidence. People walked passed by him, full-on thick clothes, mittens, scarfs, like giants teddy bear dolls. He anxiously shifted his weight from one leg to another, constantly moving to keep his feet warm albeit the thin socks and worn-out shoes he was wearing. His bare hands rubbed against each other to form a tiny heat he badly needed.

"Just a little longer," he smiled, muttering to himself.

"Teukkie!!"

A high-pitched voice coming from his left caught his attention. Although he knew his attention was not the only one who was snatched as people around them lingered their look on them, Leeteuk didn't care. He opened his arms wide—wide enough to welcome his cheery boyfriend. The hug was warming, his heart and his body. They were swaying left and right for his boyfriend held him exceptionally tight yet this was what kept him sane—having him was what made him continue to live his ordinary life.

"How's work, Chullie?"

A kiss on his temple sent his smile blooming. Heechul grinned widely, still clinging to Leeteuk.

"Meh... Boring."

Leeteuk opened the zip of his ripped bag and pulled out a small beanie for Heechul. He carefully put it on his boyfriend and was satisfied when Heechul looked warmer and adorable.

"Boring? You look like it wasn't, though?"

"What do you mean?" 

They began to walk, strolling the busy street, hand in hand. Leeteuk naturally put Heechul's left hand inside his jacket pocket and stroked it gently.

"You smile a lot, Chullie. Tell me, did you happen to see Mr. Lee sleeping with his mouth open again?"

Heechul burst into laughter at the mention of the silly accident he told Leeteuk a few days ago when he caught his boss sleeping in the main cashier. However, this time, it was not it. He shook his head and looked up front.

"Nuh. It's just..."

Heechul looked up at the beautiful sky of dusk glow and smiled.

"I wonder when the first snow will fall."

Leeteuk stopped abruptly, turning to his boyfriend who seemingly wouldn't take his eyes off the sky. And as if the universe was listening to them, right at the very moment, something white fell on Heechul's rosy cheeks.

The first snow,

magically,

fell.

Heechul tapped the cold substance with his finger and a sigh escaped his lips. He looked at Leeteuk and a genuine smile formed, his eyes glimmering.

"First snow," was all Heechul could say.

Leeteuk blamed for the surroundings that forced him to do nothing but fall deeper and deeper into the man in front of him. He suddenly leaned closer and caught Heechul's lips in a chaste kiss as he parroted,

"First snow."

❆

  
Praying with all his heart that they still had some rice to eat, Leeteuk sighed in relief when he saw a heap of rice in the container. He took it and began to cook. The food on the pan he was reheating was sizzling temptingly. Grabbing two eggs from their old fridge, he cracked them in a small bowl to make an omelet. He was busy stirring the mixture when he heard a loud creak from the main door, meaning that Heechul had come back from the convenience store. There was a rustle before his boyfriend's fluffy hair descended from his shoulder accompanied by a pair of arms around his waist.

"Teukkie!! Guess what I saw earlier."

Leeteuk hummed and continued to pour the egg into the pan. The subtle response didn't die down Heechul's excitement because he had been used to Leeteuk's small reactions.

"On the way to the store, I saw a giant Christmas tree with so many presents under it. It was so beautiful, Teuk. The star on top was twinkling and the ornaments were—"

"Pass me the salt."

Heechul grabbed a small jar of salt and continued his narration, "The ornaments were very lovely. Teukkie, is it possible if..."

Leeteuk smiled sadly although Heechul never witnessed it, he knew where this conversation was heading to and honestly, he couldn't blame Heechul for it. They'd never celebrated Christmas the way other people did because of their unstable economy. The best they'd ever done at Christmas was spending the night in the park to feel the festive vibes. It shattered his heart to hear that all Heechul wanted for Christmas was a damn tree. A pang of guilt dwelled inside him for he wasn't able to give the least of what Heechul wanted.

"Is it possible if—"

"Do you get the ramen?" Leeteuk suddenly cut him. 

Heechul was taken aback but he eventually understood that Leeteuk silently reminded him that they were not in the state where they could afford a Christmas tree. He smiled, tightening his hug for a few seconds before he walked away to get the ramen that he assumed they'd be eating for the next few days. He crouched down to get the bag when suddenly something fell off his pocket.

A star—the small star ornament;

that he found under the Christmas tree from earlier;

that he decided to keep because he believed that he would put it on their tree;

someday.

❆

"You're staying the night at your friend's house?"

Heechul had his grip tightened around the plastic bag containing the food his boss gave. He was very excited to come home and prepared the food for Leeteuk but for five damn times this week, his high hope was shattered.

For five damn times, he had to bear the loneliness of having meals by himself.

"But Teukkie, I— Oh. Alright, then. No... It's fine, Teuk. Just... Make sure you eat well. I love you."

A lone bud of tear rolled down Heechul's cheek as soon as he ended the call. His teary eyes wandered wildly into his small dimmed living room and his chest tightened. Since last week, they rarely talked. Even just to meet, he had to wait until late at night for Leeteuk to come home and what he got after was not praise for he'd been waiting for Leeteuk nor a kiss on his temple like he usually got because his lover would go straight to their bedroom and slept. He wanted to ask what made Leeteuk change but he was too afraid to face the reality if Leeteuk indeed had a valid reason that included his leaving him.

Staggeringly, Heechul strode over to the small fireplace and lit it on. It had been so long since he needed the warmth from the burning logs, because all these years, Leeteuk had provided the best warmth,

in his holds.

❆

The next few days, the bright light Heechul was longing for never came. Without him knowing, his relationship with Leeteuk grew apart. His lover rarely came home and he began to seek company from his old friends. Just like tonight, he was boozed, head spinning badly, even his body supported by his friends to get into his flat. He was about to shout telling that no one was home as one of his friends was knocking on the door when suddenly the door was swung open. 

Even in this state with his blurry sight, he could still recognize who it was.

"Hello, is it Heechul's flat?"

Leeteuk frowned although he eventually nodded. The expression of the man in front of him immediately lit up.

"Ah. I'm his friend. My name is Gunhee, this is Jungmo. We're drinking tonight and Heechul seems to get a bit drunk so I get him home. Can I trust him to you?"

On the last part of the question, Leeteuk was surprised.

> _"Can I trust him to you?"_

His jaws clenched, he didn't know why this man asked whether he could trust Heechul—his lover—to him. It surely scratched an ugly wound on his pride but he, still, was clueless why he deserved to be asked that.

Without answering or uttering any more words, he pulled Heechul's body closer and bowed as an act of thankfulness before he shut the door completely. He sighed and eventually carried Heechul's lifeless body. A heavy smell of liquor immediately stabbed his nose. His heart ached to see his lover become like this without him knowing the reason. With Heechul secured in his hold, he strode over to their bedroom. He gently laid Heechul down on the mattress and still, the latter seemed unconscious. He brushed some of the strands of hair sticking to Heechul's flushed face and leaned in to give a kiss on his temple. He reached for the second drawer of the nightstand and took out the hangover pill for Heechul to take. 

He was about to stand up when suddenly Heechul grabbed his hand. He stopped and turned to his lover.

"Where are you going, again?"

Heechul hesitantly asked, his eyes anywhere else but Leeteuk. The older sighed audibly and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I... I need to go back to my workpla—"

"Bullshit!"

Leeteuk was taken aback, his pupils shaking. He tried to hold Heechul's hands but the latter swayed his arms away. 

"I came to your bakery yesterday and your boss told me that there were no big orders whatsoever. She also told me that you never took extra work. She—" 

"Chullie."

"Shut up! You lied to me, Teuk!! You— Where were you?" 

Leeteuk was trying his best to calm Heechul down, attempting to hug the sobbing man, when his phone suddenly rang, breaking the intense atmosphere inside the cramped room. Heechul's crying got louder and now, it was he who hold onto Leeteuk like a kid not wanting to be left alone. 

"No... Please... Don't leave me."

The way Heechul uttered each word jabbed Leeteuk's heart because it almost sounded like a plea and Heechul never pleaded. However, how painful his heart right now and how hard it was to leave Heechul, he knew he had no choice;

he had to go. 

He swiftly pecked Heechul's forehead, uttering his apology through a gesture, and slowly pried Heechul's arms away. With that, without saying any words of goodbye, he left. 

Heechul could only cry; he could only ask for the nothingness to never leave because as soon as Leeteuk stepped outside, he was alone. He didn't know whether the alcohol or the pain inside his heart that crushed him right now. One thing he was sure of—he embraced both. 

❆

"Are you sure he's not going to look for you?" 

Gunhee nervously asked as he started the engine of his car. He glanced sideways and noticed that Heechul still lingered his eyes on the building. Sighing, he eyed Jungmo on the backseat to ask for help but the latter only looked at him hopelessly. 

"He won't. He..."

_'...has not come home for almost three days.'_

"Nevermind. Where are we going?" 

The car finally speeded on the street leaving the area of Heechul's flat. 

"I don't know, let's just try to look for open places. It's Christmas night so I guess many will be close."

Right.

It was Christmas night. 

Yet, unlike the years before, for the first time, he loathed it. If it were those days, he would be at home, savoring the sweet hot chocolate Leeteuk made and snuggled to his lover for the rest of the night—just the two of them sharing the blessing of Christmas with each other. But tonight, it was bleak; it was brittle. Everything was colder, freezing his once warm heart. His eyes swept across the twinkling light on the street, watching the beautiful Christmasy color decorating almost all places. 

The car stopped at the red light and the scenery outside became clearer. Heechul rolled down the window and observed the busy sidewalks. His chest tightened, breathing being difficult when he saw a guy with an apron running towards a crowded bakery. He suddenly remembered Leeteuk—that got to be how his lover would look when he was working. Heechul remembered how he used to surprise his lover by unannouncedly coming to the bakery. It was—

Dammit; it always ended up in him. 

Heechul quickly closed the window and was about to check his phone when Jungmo suddenly asked. 

"Ah, right. Why don't we invite your roommate, Hyung? You see, the more the merrier. I guess—" 

"He was busy. Stop talking about him."

Heechul drew a long breath and finally closed his eyes. It was short-lived, though, because what Jungmo said next caught his full attention. 

"He sure is. How many jobs does he have? I recall you said he worked in a bakery or something but two days ago, I ordered delivery at midnight and guess who was the courier? Your roommate. He's really—"

"What?! What did you say?"

"He's a delivery guy."

Stupid. He was stupid.

"Stop the car."

❆

"Chullie? Look what I've got for you."

Leeteuk heaved and put down the Christmas tree he was excitedly bringing next to the fireplace. He frowned when he got no response and inspected the house farther. This house was too quiet and his heart began to race when he found no one; their room was exceptionally tidy, the kitchen unblemished, the living room all clean. He almost couldn't recognize his own home because everything felt strange. 

Just when he was about to go back to the living room, he accidentally saw a small container of sleeping pills on the kitchen island. His eyes grew bigger when he noticed that the content was almost empty. Heechul once did have severe insomnia but they solved it pretty quickly because he always made sure to hold Heechul until—

Leeteuk broke in cold sweats when he realized what he had done. His hands were trembling, the small bottle of pills dropping on the floor. He unconsciously took a few steps back until his back hit the sink. 

> _"No... Please... Don't leave me."_

Stupid. He was stupid. 

"Chullie, I'm sorry."

❆

Glancing at the clock hanging above the broken television, Leeteuk let out a heavy sigh when he noticed that it was already really late. He initially wanted to look for Heechul although he didn't have any idea where his lover was but he abandoned his intention because he was afraid that if he was out there searching for him with no clue at all, Heechul suddenly came home and, again, found no one. 

So, here he was, patiently putting the cheap ornaments on the small Christmas tree he finally could afford. All his sleepless nights, the blood, sweat, and tears he shed the past few weeks for he took so many jobs, would be paid off if he had the one who was worth more than those all with him. He couldn't help but imagine how happy Heechul would get, decorating the tree he dreamed of.

❆

Albeit the thick snow covering his coat, Heechul still ran with all his might. He badly needed to get home whatever it costed. As the building of his flat was already in his sight, his heart tightened because, honestly, he couldn't bear if he indeed would find no one home. But, the voice in the back of his head kept telling him that the right thing to do now was to be home—to be where Leeteuk could always come back to. 

As soon as he reached his flat, he wasted no time and immediately banged the door open. His heartbeat stopped; his eyes couldn't stop wandering around his house because all the Christmas decorations placed in some spots almost blinded him. Snowflakes were hanging around the doorframe connecting to the living room, a cute pair of socks below a photo of him and Leeteuk. His fingers nervously touched one of the hanging ornaments and his heart screamed in silent pain; 

this was thrilling with a reason he couldn't name. 

He rushed to enter the house and all the numbness he felt from the coldness melted away when he saw him, lying on the carpeted floor beside a beautiful, magical Christmas tree. With reluctant steps, Heechul slowly approached the unconscious man. Leeteuk was sleeping soundly, an ornament still in his clutch. His face looked a bit tired, dark circles under his eyes and chapped bluish lips. 

Heechul couldn't hold it any longer. He threw his body onto his lover and buried his face in his chest. He was too embarrassed to even face Leeteuk after what he had assumed. Sobbing, fisting his lover's thin sweater, Heechul poured all the emotions—the frustration he failed to usher. And when a warm hand rubbing his back, drawing him closer, he finally lost it. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so stupid. I'm sorry, Teukkie. I—" 

"Stop crying. It's Christmas night."

Leeteuk opened his eyes, looking at the plain ceilings all the while rubbing Heechul's back comfortingly. He slowly rose from his position, bringing Heechul along to sit on his lap, cuddling up to him. Even so, his lover still stubbornly hid his face in the nook of his neck.

"Chullie, look. We finally got a Christmas tree."

Heechul shook his head, hugging him tighter.

"You don't like it?" Leeteuk asked rhetorically.

Just then, Heechul finally showed his puffy face, eyes red and teary, nose runny, very adorable according to the whipped Leeteuk.

"Aigoo, look at you."

Leeteuk wiped the tears away and pinched Heechul's cheeks making the owner giggling a little.

"I'm s-sorry."

Heechul's voice was throaty. Leeteuk didn't respond, only tucking his boyfriend's hair behind his ear.

"Teukkie?"

Heechul called again.

"Listen," Leeteuk held Heechul's hands and gathered them in the space between their bodies. His stare dropped as he continued, "I'm sorry. I never meant to leave you alone... But, I want to give you a Christmas you won't ever forget. It breaks my heart to know that what you want is only a tree. I'm sorry that we have to live—"

Heechul didn't let his lover finish his sentence as he shut his lips with his. It was a chaste kiss, lips to lips, heart to heart. When they parted, they couldn't peel their eyes from each other, basking the warmth from the fireplace and the blessings of Christmas night.

"I only need you," Heechul said and meant it sincerely. Leeteuk smiled causing a few wrinkles around the corner of his eyes.

"I've made hot chocolate. Wait here for a while."

Leeteuk pecked Heechul's lips once again before he stood up and went to the kitchen. Heechul sighed contentedly, eyeing the lovely tree. He suddenly remembered something and vigorously searched for that one thing inside his bag.

"Found it!"

Heechul took out the star ornament he found a few weeks ago and placed it on top of the tree. A satisfied smile adorned his face when he, again and again, looked at their first Christmas tree.

"Teukkie, can we keep the tree until the new year?"

Leeteuk strode over to the living room, bringing two cups of hot chocolate, and sat beside Heechul on the carpet.

"Sure."

He handed one of the drinks to Heechul and smiled looking at how Heechul had a childlike grin on his face.

"It's still hot, stir it first."

Heechul did as told; however, he turned to examine his cup when he found that his spoon hit something. Trying to get the thing out, Heechul almost dropped his glass when he saw what it was.

"Teukkie... A ring?"

"Merry Christmas, Chullie."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
